Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure^(R) Boosts Matching Gifts with Donation Form Button

By installing a simple button on its online donation form, the Maryland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure^(R) last year was able to identify six times the number of match-eligible donors over the previous year -- contributing to a nearly 20% boost in overall giving. The Komen Maryland experience is a powerful example of what happens when small nonprofits take the initiative to make it easy for donors to find and apply for matching gift opportunities where they work.

Komen Maryland, which raises money for breast cancer research, obtained 63 matching gifts from 11 companies in 2008-2009 by directing donors to a list of companies that the organization had compiled. However, says Lenore Koors, the organization's Development Director, maintaining that list was proving to be too time- and labor-intensive for the small staff of six full-time employees plus volunteers. So Koors approached Adcieo, a Baltimore-based nonprofit consulting firm, to develop a button that could be added to their online donation form that would allow donors to search HEP Development's comprehensive GiftPlus^(R) database to determine whether their companies match gifts.

At a HEP-sponsored webinar in March, Koors explained that within a few months of adding the button, they have already confirmed 158 matching gifts from 27 companies, with an additional 352 matches identified.

"It's simple and very clean," says Koors. "All we've had to do is put this link on our website. It really makes matching gifts part of the click-through process." Adcieo handles the technical aspects, freeing Koors and her staff to concentrate on critical functions like fundraising events and donor relations. And because donor information is tracked, Koors can contact matching gift donors to upgrade them and invite them to events.

HEP Development Services' latest research shows the number of companies matching to nonprofits continues to grow in spite of the recent economic downturn. In fact, HEP has over 16,500 companies with matching gift programs in its GiftPlus^(R) database, and adds more daily. This is great news for nonprofits trying to raise funds in tough times; according to Dennis Chyba, President and Founder of Adcieo, an estimated 1 in 10 charitable gifts is match eligible, and approximately half of Corporate 500 companies have matching gift programs.

Adcieo's matching gift button helps Komen Maryland more with less -- and it can have a similar effect for other small nonprofits that rely on high volumes of small gifts. "I think it equalizes the small nonprofits to the larger, well staffed nonprofits," says Koors. "Because the size of the staff doesn't matter, I think it makes the playing field equal for matching gifts."

For more information about HEP Development's GiftPlus^(R) database of matching gift programs, please contact one of HEP's Product Consultants at 800-681-4438 or info@hepdata.com. To find out more about Adcieo, visit their website. You can learn more about Komen Maryland here .

return to top

BYU-LDS Philanthropies Uses Workplace Fundraising Widget to Boost Alumni Matching Gifts

To get a wide sample, LDS Philanthropies e-mailed alumni at 10 companies with matching gift programs and invited them to participate in a webinar to introduce the "Share Your Light" scholarship campaign and demonstrate the widget. LDS Philanthropies then e-mailed the widget to approximately 1,800 interested alumni who in turn spread the widget to 6,500 of their relatives and friends. According to Barett Christensen, Manager, Corporate Matching at LDS Philanthropies, the campaign raised $35,000 -- or a total of $70,000 after the match.

Christensen said that some of the data were surprising. While the donors were split 50-50 split between men and women, their average age was 42. "It wasn't the 'Gen Y' alumni," says Christensen. "That's going to surprise social media people." Also, the distribution varied widely among the targeted companies -- for example, two companies raised no money at all, while two others generated twice as much as the per-company target of $5,000. "We're still trying to figure out why some did well and some didn't," says Christensen, who discussed how LDS Philanthropies developed its widget at a HEP webinar in October 2009.

The lessons learned from this pilot program were immediately put to work for Haitian relief following the earthquake in January. The Haiti widget, also powered by E-Match Donor Link^(TM), was sent out to 1,500 people; within three months, it had been posted to over 3,000 websites, and seen by over 500,000 donors in 154 countries, and it raised over $200,000 in contributions. "We're very excited by that," says Christensen. "As far as we know, this is the first non-texting social media campaign that's raised over $50,000." Plus, because donors provided their contact information, LDS Philanthropies now has access to those donors for future campaigns.

"Widgets seem to be a way to further democratize the process of philanthropy," concludes Christensen.

return to top

St. John's University Uses Employer Find to Identify Matching Gift Prospects

Current employer information is essential for fundraisers to be able to contact alumni for donations. That's why St. John's University's Advancement Services recently added HEP Development Services' Employer Find^(TM) to its suite of advancement tools. According to Michael DiSarno, Executive Director of Advancement Services at St. John's University, the results were worth the investment.

"We already use WealthTracker and have seen great improvement over time with that application, which prompted us to try Employer Find," says DiSarno. DiSarno and his staff of five gift processors culled their alumni database for the best prospects -- approximately 50,000 mid-career alumni -- and send them to HEP Development to be screened. HEP was able to find current employment information for 13,000 alumni -- a 25% success rate. "We had very good hit rates with Employer Find," says DiSarno. "That is one of the hardest pieces of information for us to collect and track because many of our alums do not provide us with the information."

In addition to targeting matching gift prospects, DiSarno says, St. John's is using the data to provide career support assistance to alumni who have been hit hard by the economic downturn.

"Anything that helps you make updates faster and in a more automated way is good," says DiSarno. "All in all I was quite happy with the results."

return to top

HEP, AFP Team Up to Provide Fundraisers With Cutting-Edge Matching Gift Resources

HEP Development Services recently launched an exciting new partnership with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) to provide AFP's 30,000 members with access to HEP's comprehensive suite of matching gift resources. Now AFP members can use eMatch Donor Link^(TM) to verify matches and provide access to gift forms, and consult the GiftPlus^(R) database to obtain matching gift policies, at specially reduced prices.

In addition, HEP will provide AFP members with:

• Free webinars
• Access to research and publications
• Free ongoing training
• Free customer support for eMatch Donor Link
• Consultations and advice

Speaking to AFP, HEP's CEO Steve Hafner said, "We are excited to extend our services and expertise to AFP members. There is so much untapped potential in matching gifts, and now fundraisers across North America and worldwide will have access to the best data and technology in the market, plus unparalleled customer service, to realize that potential."

Founded in 1960, AFP offers advocacy, research, education and certification programs to 30,000 members in 207 chapters throughout the world. For more information about AFP, visit their website or call (800) 666-3863. To learn more about the suite of powerful fundraising tools and services that HEP Development Services offers, visit www.hepdata.com or call (800) 681-4438.

return to top

News Bits

• Two Heads are Better than One: HEP offers bundled pricing to clients who subscribe to both eMatch Donor Link^(TM) and the GiftPlus Online^(R) database. Donors can use eMatch Donor Link via a link on your website (either as a standalone promotional page or in conjunction with your online giving page) to find out whether their employers will match their donations. Your staff can use GiftPlus Online to gain access to the HEP database. "As part of an overall 'best practices' strategy, it is important to have both the eMatch and the GiftPlus Online subscription," says Marianna B. Funk, Director of Customer Service, Matching Gifts, and Director of Research at HEP Development Services. "They enable you to proactively promote matching gifts on your web site as well as internally, either prior to soliciting the donor or as a back-end gift acknowledgment."
• North of the Border: HEP Development's GiftPlus^(R) database now includes over 3,000 Canadian companies and subsidiaries that have matching gift programs, and that number continues to grow. If you think a Canadian or U.S. company has a matching gift program, be sure to let HEP's research team investigate it so that we can keep their information updated in the database. HEP thanks all its Canadian and U.S. clients who send in companies to be researched.
• New Companies Added: HEP Development is pleased to report a recent uptick in the number of companies being added to its comprehensive GiftPlus^(R) database. The number of U.S. companies continues to grow in spite of the economically challenging times. While some matching gift programs have been suspended or lost due to mergers and acquisitions or to disbanding, the good news is that in 2008-2009, the HEP database grew by over 300 new matching gift companies, and more are being added all the time.
• New Matching Gift Survey: Supporting Advancement has launched a survey, Matching Gifts Best Practices 2010. Be sure to complete yours if you haven't already done so. The best practices survey is a comprehensive and valuable resource for all nonprofits.
• Learning Center: HEP Development's Learning Center is your one-stop shop for matching gift ideas and training. HEP's most recent free webinar, "Online Donation Forms and Matching Gifts," is available for viewing on demand. HEP webinars include all facets of matching gifts from marketing to administration.

return to top

May 2010